On Feb. 28, Nancy Brancheau and Kate Schmus were named the two recipients of this year’s Workplace Good Samaritan Hero award from the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Mrs. Brancheau and Mrs. Schmus are lunchroom aides at Temperance Road Elementary School who, in September, performed the Heimlich maneuver on Arianna Haaser, a kindergarten student who was choking on a piece of hot dog.

The two previously had been commended on their quick action by the Bedford Board of Education.

The Workplace Good Samaritan Hero award was one of 10 different awards presented by the Red Cross to county residents at a ceremony held at LaRoy’s Hall in LaSalle. Another Bedford area resident, Jerry Barron, was presented with the Adult Good Samaritan Award.

A Heroes Advisory Committee of nine community leaders chaired by Joe Costello met in late January to select the Red Cross award winners.

A total of 37 nominations were received. The only requirements were that the nominees must be residents of Monroe County, employed within Monroe County or the incidents must have taken place in Monroe County and the lifesaving acts/events must have occurred in 2012.

Honorees were presented with engraved awards and certificates of honor from the Red Cross. Proceeds from the event will benefit the community and emergency services offered by the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross.